MOUNT VERNON – Head coach Brent Hamm has Cornell's men's wrestling program on an upward swing, coming off a successful 2022-23 season in which the Rams went 9-3 in duals, placed sixth at regionals and landed an NCAA qualifier.
 
The Rams look to build on that momentum with a strong nucleus back this season, which gets underway Thursday with a 7 p.m. dual meet against Simpson inside the Small Athletic and Wellness Center.
 
Cornell travels to the Luther Hill Invitational Saturday in Indianola and then returns to its home mat Nov. 9 for a dual with St. Ambrose.
 
"We're excited to be at home right off the bat," said Hamm, entering his sixth season at the helm. "We're fired up to start the season and show off all the work our guys have put in."
 
Cornell brings back four wrestlers who placed at last year's Lower Midwest Region Championships, where the Rams accumulated their highest team point total since 2016. Cornell's returning regional placewinners include junior Cael McLaren (fourth at 184 pounds), junior Landon Card (fifth at 149), sophomore Jase Van Pelt (seventh at 125) and senior Treyten Steffen (seventh at 197).
 
Sophomore 157-pounder Gabriel Smith and sophomore heavyweight Landen Schemmel also competed at the 2023 regional, giving the Rams an experienced group to lean on.
 
"We've built a really good foundation," Hamm said. "We have a lot of returning contributors and we're still relatively young as a whole. We're fortunate to have young guys who have already gained valuable experience at this level."
 
Smith finished a terrific freshman season ranked 15th nationally in his weight class. The team leader in wins, Smith fashioned a 31-12 record and earned bonus points in 17 victories.
 
McLaren has posted 60 wins and 20 pins through only two seasons with the Rams. He went 24-14 as a sophomore. Card (27-14), sophomore heavyweight Jackson Brinker (23-9) and Steffen (21-12) also topped the 20-win mark a season ago. Brinker recorded a team-best 16 pins.
 
Sophomore Jayden Rael (18-11 at 125), Van Pelt (15-13 at 125) and sophomore Scott Scheidecker (10-9 at 165) all finished with winning records.
 
Cornell's opening night lineup includes sophomore Eli Sneed (133), along with a pair of promising freshmen in AJ Parrish (141) and Brian Petry (174). Parrish was a Nebraska state champion and four-time placewinner. Petry was a state finalist in Nebraska.
 
The Rams have ramped up their schedule with numerous top-tier opponents. They face perennial power UW-La Crosse in a neutral-site dual Nov. 11, travel to Albany, N.Y., for the Armbar at the Armory Nov. 18 and will make their first appearance at the NWCA National Duals (Jan. 5-6) since 2016.
 
"We're excited to go up against the best teams in the country," Hamm said. "We're ready for that level of competition. That's why we scheduled it."
 
All three of Cornell's dual losses last season came against teams ranked in the top 13 nationally.
 
The Rams host the annual Cliff Keen-Mike Duroe Invitational Jan. 13. They visit rival Coe for a Bremner Cup meet Feb. 9 and host Augustana Feb. 20 for the final dual of the season.
 
The Region Championships are March 1-2, followed by the NCAA Championships March 15-16 in La Crosse, Wis.